How to spot if your friend or spouse is using steroids

Steroids - A word that has been around since the 'beginning of time'. Back in the day it was a 'hush hush' when the words Steroid was used. Today just about everybody talks about it very openly and it even seems 'not bad' to be on a cycle of steroids and is readily available at a drop of a phone call.

However, you ask anybody, they will tell you that the use of steroids is not good for you and could possibly have life threatening illness in the long run.

So why do men and women take steroids?
Steroids are associated with so many sports these days. Cycling, bodybuilding, rugby, athletics and the list goes on and on. There are a few reasons why people take steroids- There is big money in sport and to be the best, one has to consistently perform at one's best, (sponsorship, winning incentives, etc) but it's not just the professional athlete using steroids these days. Your boyfriend / girlfriend could be using it too. The average guy or girl wants to be Bigger - 'Bigger is Better' or so it seems. This could come at a 'high' price - the price of your well being.

Anabolic steroids has been associated with a wide range of adverse side effects ranging from some that are physically unattractive.

Hormonal System
Steroid abuse disrupts the normal production of hormones in the body, causing both reversible and irreversible changes.  Changes that can be reversed include reduced sperm production and shrinking of the testicles (testicular atrophy).

In the female body, anabolic steroids cause masculinization,  Breast size and body fat decrease, the skin becomes coarse, the clitoris enlarges, and the voice deepens.  Women may experience excessive growth of body hair.

Musculoskeletal system
Rising levels of testosterone and other sex hormones normally trigger growth spurt that occurs during puberty and adolescence and provide the singles to stop growth as well.

Cardiovascular system
Steroid abuse has been associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart attacks and strokes, even in athletes younger than 30.

Liver
Steroid abuse has been associated with liver tumors and a rare condition called peliosis hepatis, in which blood-filled cysts form in the liver.  Both the tumors and the cysts can rupture, causing internal bleeding.

Skin
Steroid abuse can cause acne, cysts, and oily hair and skin.

Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative effects of anabolic steroids.  For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for addiction to heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused anabolic steroids before trying any other illicit drug.

Steroid abuse
Steroid abusers typically spend large amounts of time and money obtaining the drugs, which is another indication that they may be addicted.  Individuals who abuse steroids can experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking steroids, such as mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, and steroid cravings.  The most dangerous of the withdrawal symptoms is depression, because it sometimes leads to suicide attempts.

The famous "Big gut" or distended stomach is another sign of steroid use.

10 Easy Ways To Looking Great!!!

 

1) Eat smaller portions - Most of us eat too much. You should feel like you can eat more after your meal, But DON'T!

2) Eat more frequently - Try & eat every 2 hrs (snack)

3) Distinguish between Hunger & Thirst - Most of us eat when we are thirsty

4) Make 'Wise Choices' when choosing foods

5) Start with a proper exercise program - get professional advice - it's worth it

6) Get enough sleep - That's the time your body recuperates & the earlier you go to bed, the less chance there is of late night eating

7) Have a Protein for breakfast - Pronutro is so.... 'Yesterday'

8) Supplements - Only purchase a good quality sports supplement IF & When you are serious about your health

9) Set Goals - Without goals you are not going anywhere

10) Persevere You will eventually find your 'Groove' & what works for You!

NB There are thousands of books out there about 'How to lose weight' - each author with his or her own 'scientific' evidence of what 'works'

The common factor in all of these books is that you need to change your lifestyle - exercise & eat healthier!

Tabata Workout

My Workout for today is a Tabata Workout
Tabata is a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

I'm going to stress that this workout is Not for beginners. However you could adjust it to suite your fitness levels like I do with my clients. If you need to know how to adjust your workout, feel free to contact me & I'll help you tailor it to your needs.

The routine consists of 4 minutes of continuous exercise - 20 seconds of exercise with a 10 second break

This was my workout I did today:

Skip 20 seconds, 10 seconds break - for 4 minutes ( 6 sets)

Biceps 20 seconds, 10 seconds break (TRX Curls)

Calf raises 20kg dumbells in each hand 20 seconds, 10 seconds break

Triceps Press (TRX) 20 seconds, 10 seconds break

Kettle Bell swing 12kg - alternating hands during the exercise. 20 seconds, 10 seconds break

Shoulder Side arm raises 5kg dumbell - 20 seconds - 10 sec each side, 10 seconds break

Back - TRX Rowing 20 seconds, 10 seconds break

Abs:
6 different exercises, 20 seconds each with a 10 second break between each set.

My Top 10 Workout Songs

Here's my Top 10 Motivational Workout Songs

Starting at number...

10) Papa Roach - Last resort

9) Undisputed 2 - Bring it On

8) Linkin Park & Era - O Fortuna

7) Nelly - Here comes the BOOM

6) Rob Bailey - Try and hold me back

5) Jorge Quitero - 300 Violin Orchestra

4) P.O.D - Alive

3) Fort Minor - Remember the name

2) Linkin Park - Wretches and Kings

& at Number 1... My Ultimate Motivational Song ever...

1) Sail - Be blind

TRX Full Body Workout

Today's workout - Full Body TRX Workout ( 22 minutes in total)

It starts with a warm-up, followed by each exercise performed for the duration of 1 minute.

Warm up
Squat row - 5 reps low, 5 reps middle & 5 reps high (15)
Lunge fly - 10 reps low & 10 reps high (20)
Sagital plane lunge - Lunge forward & directly into a balance lunge 15 each side
Side lunge - 20 each side
Lateral lunge with cross over - 10 each side

HR after warm up was 150BPM

Exercise (1 minute long for each exercise)
Single leg squat
Balance lunge - at 30 seconds, move into a transverse lunge
Leg curls
Hip abduction
Chest press
Back Row
Deltoid raise - (shorten straps) arms in a 'Y' position
Bicep curls
Tricep press
Oblique leg raises
Suspended crunch

HR immediately after exercise was 160BPM

Today's training session

My workout today!!!

Back

Pull ups on the bar with 15kg's on my back - 3 sets (10, 8, 6 reps)

TRX rowing with 16kg's on my back - 3 sets (10, 8, 6 reps)

Bent over single arm rowing with 30kg dumbell - 3 sets (10, 8, 6 reps)

Triceps

Overhead extensions with 30kg dumbell - 3 sets (15, 12, 10 reps)

TRX Tricep Press - 3 sets (15, 12, 10 reps

Tricep Dips - 3 sets with 32kg plates on my laps (15, 12, 10 reps)

Abs

 

PS Use a weight that's comfortable for you. If you can't do pull ups on the bar, use the weight assisted machine - it's much easier. ALWAYS make sure your form is SPOT ON!!!

ENOY!

Runners Run too much!!!

You Run too much!!!

So it's the day after the 2014 Two Oceans Marathon and some of you have woken up having this out of body experience - like your legs don't belong to you or they're just broken. Others might feel amazing after achieving great results in their race...

I ran my first marathon back in the ninety's & I can still remember every moment of that race. Since 2005 I've stopped running Marathons & Ultra Marathons because of two reasons - 1.) It was taking up so much of my time and after a Sunday morning 30km training run there was not much time left in my day to do anything else & 2.) I found myself running so much, I was running all my "good lean" muscle away and found myself ageing quite fast due to all this running.

Which brings me to my next point...
Have you noticed that South Africans battle to win any of these big races like Comrades and Two Oceans? The answer's quite simple - South Africans train Way too much. Last year the tv commentator touched on it, & I thought - "Spot on"

I'll give you an eg. I worked for Sports Science Institute of S.A & while I was there participated in a study of "muscle damage" - to my quads. I wasn't allowed to run for 2 weeks, as long as I was involved in this "muscle damage" program. This made me nervous, as I had a marathon coming up and was given strict instruction by the testing team NOT to do any form of running. (No running? are you kidding me? How will I cope?)

The testing consisted of lots and lots of Plyometric leg exercises which literally killed me. But, come race day, I ran a PB (personal best). I not only broke my PB, I shattered it...

Which brings me back to the point that South Africans run way too much. I've been there, I've seen it and I'm still seeing it. People half die when they can't go run or can't make it to a race. They'd rather pump themselves full of meds & then go & run - but Run they MUST. Even if it's hail or thunder, runners have to be out there. Or take the Vitamin B injection because they are tired All the time. You don't need a Vitamin B injection if you REST sufficiently between training & races. Not to mention running with an injury... There's always another race the following year BUT you only have one body, look after it.

These days runners are still running a day or 2 before Race Day... Why? - They say it's to "keep their legs loose" Stretch if you want to keep your limbs loose!!!

You should be Resting completely!!!! It's an endurance event - you are going to need all your energy on race day.

I've had so many clients who came to me (21km runner's) and showed me their training programs. I was horrified to see the distances these people put in per week. I got tired just reading it...

I asked them if I they would allow me to change how much they run - Not quite easy to convince an "Addict" :-) but after sum convincing it all worked out. I took a guy that was running 80km's per week and cut his training down to not even a fraction of that & guess what? His race times started improving, drastically. So did his family life... He could now spend more time with the wife & kids because he was training far less. What once was an addiction for him is now just a way of keeping fit - a lifestyle.

I've always said to all my clients - "I will not train twice a day unless you pay me to." I am not a professional athlete so why would I want to train like one?

I still run... just not as much as i used to :-)